Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-11

TON HAVE BEEN FILED?
The Cosmos club was Incorporated in this city
December 13, 1878, the certificate being signed by
J. W. Powell, E. L. Holden, James C. Yelling Theo
Gill; C. T. button, W. NJ. New, F. M. Enlich, III.
Gannett, Garrick Mallery and w. Hardness, all
gentlemen well known in scientific, literary and
art circles. The Cosmos club recently raided by
the police, as mentioned in The STAR, totally dis
tinct organization, filed its certificate December
3lst last. W. G0odacre, j. W. Clark n. Bouvet, l..
c. Banded and w. L. Riley We're the incOrpOratOrS.
member of the original Cosmos club was making
inquiries at the Office OF the recorder OF deeds yes
and claimed that IL was the duty OF that officer to
refuse 10 record the certificate OF December 31st
The law on the subject Is as follows: ''The pro-
visions OF this chapter (of Incorporation shall not
extend or apply to any association or individual
VINO Sh In the certificate filed with the recorder
OF deeds, use or specify name or style the same
as That OF any previously existing incorporated
body in this District
HOW THE CITY IS DETAINED AND INJUSTICE DONE TO
THE BOYS BY SUCH ARRESTS AND PENALTIES.
To the Editor of THE EVENING STAR:
= February IL, 1887.
If your reporter has correctly stated the facts
attending the filming of the little newsboys by the
Police Court yesterday, great wrong has been
done them and disrepute has been brought upon
the administration OF justice In this District. The
obstruction" which these boys could have caused
any event, was trifiing, and after some investi-
CATION OF the facts 1 am led to believe that it
listed chiefly, II not wholly, in the Imagination
prejudice OF the buInptiouS policeman who made
The arrest He has the maine OF making trivial ar
rests TO swell his aggregate"
That any one should be condemned without
hearing him is unamerican, unjudicial and unjust,
and merits severe apprehension. IL is true that
the court which serves the purpose of ClOaca
MAMMA for the 'crime" OF this District Is kept
busy. But even this court, which exists and eIer-
cises jurisdiction only by evasion OF the COnstitu-
n ind m. To rirnA To hn1
Then the fine 1mpOSed-S5-is an enormous fine,
when measured by the character OF the OffenSe
and the condition OF the offenders" Five dollars
may be Il triiie TO many OF your readers. To the
newSbOys 1t represents from five to ten days labor.
To their parents it represents weeks wages very
nearly. suppose your prosperous company should
be compelled TO pay five days profits Ior letting
roll OF paper "Obstruct" the sidewalk. Or that
some OF our enterprising merchants were
called upon TO give up the income OF
a week because they permitted their goods to
stand on the pavement longer than some captiouS
''Ofcer" thought right! The community would
denounce 1t as robbery, and justly too! The
robbery is none the less real because the victim
is colored boy. IL should be remembered too,
that as the law stands in this District, some or
these ''ObStructioniStS" Were, as am informed of
age that would relieve them OF criminal reSpOn-
sibiiity. such punishlnents make crime. They do
not repreSs it.
AS il happens know something about some of
your newsDoys. They sell your papers TO get
books and clothes for school. judicial cOnfisca-
ton OF their earnings means to them enforced
absence from school, especially il they haven't
the money 10 pay, and they are sent down" for
longer OF shorter period In that case they attend
school IL is true Like that little boy in knicker-
bOcherS whom saw at the Jail last summer. In
less than twenty-fOur hours after was there he
was being educated by a teacher who had gradu-
ated at Two penitentiarieS.
The honorable standing OF our Commissioners
OF the attorney for the District, of the Judge the
Police Court, and our chief Of police and their
Well known humanitarian SympathieS lead me TO
hope that this act ii it cannot be explained by
them, will be disavOwed, and certainly that it
shall not be repeated X. ID. MUssEY.